by Lydia Cole
He nodded. “Still, it was above and beyond. You’re a pretty cool chick.”
“Thanks,” I chuckled. “You’re not too shabby yourself when you’re not trying to get in my pants.”
Hayden laughed and leaned back, putting his arm on the back of my chair. “You’ll give into my charm eventually. Women can’t resist me.”
I just shook my head. “And there goes the head expansion.” I glanced up and noticed Ben laughing with a pretty blonde on the dance floor. “Is that Ben’s girlfriend?”
“Uh…” Hayden strained his eyes, then leaned back. “Ex. Bethany Smith.”
“Ex?” I looked back over with a smile. “They don’t act like it.”
He shrugged. “It was a mutual thing. Bethy’s heading off for med school.”
“Wow,” I turned to him with wide eyes. “That’s awesome.”
Hayden gave me a look, then shook his head. “Lucy Gold, impressed by a little Phoenix girl going to med school.”
“Hey, I appreciate how much work it takes to become a doctor. I know I couldn’t do it.” I leaned back and rested my head on his arm. “I’m fully and completely exhausted.”
“Ben said we were going back with you. Tonight or in the morning?”
I shrugged. “Either way, we’re going to the studio tomorrow.”
“We?”
I smiled and nodded, still laying back on his arm. “Johnny’s decided he wants me to handle you guys for now. He seems to think I can lend a creative hand with your album.”
“This just keeps getting better for you. Now, you get more Hayden time.”
Before I had the chance to tell him he was the one things were getting better for, someone shouted my name: “Lucy!”
I picked my head up and looked for the blonde head. “Yes?”
“Come on. Come dance!” Ben bounced in front of me.
“Too tired,” I waved my arm in the air. “I haven’t slept since the night before the Grammy’s.”
Hayden stiffened. “Seriously?”
“Mmhmm. I couldn’t sleep that night and I haven’t slowed down long enough to sleep since.” I adjusted myself to lean on his chest. “Don’t get any ideas. You’re just a pillow to me.”
Ben moved closer, worry evident in his voice. “You want to head out?”
“No.” I sat up and glared at him. “You’re not leaving until you’re ready to leave.”
He gave me a small smile. “Well, why don’t you go crash somewhere?”
I raised my eyebrow. “That sounds like an awesome idea. But, where?”
“Obviously my place, babe,” Hayden offered.
I’m pretty sure a rocker like Hayden had the girls swooning. Yes, I found him sexy as hell, but I was no ordinary girl. Growing up with a rock star as a father, well–let’s just say a rock star’s charm was something I could resist.
If Hayden wanted me in his bed, then he would have to work harder for it. A part of me really hoped he would.
“I can’t be seen going into your place with you, Hay. Hello? Do you want your face plastered all over the tabloids?”
His smiled widened. “Next to you, sure. And, nothing excites me more than the idea of being plastered with you.” I rolled my eyes and forced myself to sit up. “You know, you roll your eyes a lot?â€�
“Only around you, babe…I’ll be fine here. I can get a hotel room for tonight or we can head back to L.A. when we’re done here. It’s up to you guys.”
“I’m anxious to get started,” Ben admitted. “Let me go tell Maci bye and collect the other guys.”
Deep down, I jumped for joy. I didn’t want to pull him away, but I didn’t want to stay, either. But, it was his choice. “I’ll call to get the jet ready.”
The guys dispersed, going home to collect bags. I brought Ben to his house in the limo, waited for him to pack, and then we made our rounds to pick up the other guys. By the time we got to the airport, it was almost midnight.
My feet were dragging. I’d actually dozed in the car, leaning on Ben. I stepped out of the limo and took one step before my legs gave out. Without missing a beat, Hayden swooped me up in his burly arms and carried me the rest of the way to the plane. God, he was so damn hot. I wanted to rip his shirt off and lick every inch of his tattoos. I think I would have if I hadn’t been so tired.
“I’m fine,” I argued as he set me in a chair.
“You’re not fine. When was the last time you ate?”
Darren, our pilot, poked his head out of the cabin. “You all right Ms. Gold?”
I was too busy trying to remember the last time I’d eaten. “Breakfast with Johnny. But, I only had coffee.” I frowned. How had I gone all day without eating? “That’s never happened before.”
“And you were drinking at the reception,” Hayden frowned. “So rock ’n’ roll of you. But, you need something in your stomach.”
I shook my head. “I need sleep.” I pulled myself up and headed for the bedroom, stripping off my dress just before I made it to the door. “Night, guys.”
***
“Lucy,” a deep voice called, shaking me lightly. “Lu-Lu, wake up.”
I opened my eyes and smiled at Johnny. “Hey, old man.”
“Did you really pass out?” His eyes were wide with concern.
“No,” I sighed and sat up. “Throw me some clothes. I’m fine.”
He resisted, but moved toward the little closet that held a few changes of clothes for both of us. “You got me scared, Lu-Lu. The guys said you were really out of it.”
I rolled my eyes and pulled on the T-shirt he threw at me, explaining to him the lack of sleep and food. When I was done, he didn’t look any less worried. In fact, he looked a lot more worried.
“We’re gong to the ER. You’re probably dehydrated.” He put an arm around my shoulders and pulled me out of the bed. “How many times have I told you that you need to make sure you get sleep and food? I know you get carried away with this stuff. You have to take better care of yourself.”
“Dad, I’m fine.”
He smiled slightly. “You only call me Dad when you’re trying to get one over on me. It’s not working this time.”
Hayden was standing next to the limo, taking long drags off a cigarette. “She lives,” he said with a smile.
Johnny put a hand on his shoulder. “Thanks for calling me.”
His face sobered immediately. “She scared the crap out of us.” He glanced at me carefully. “You were really pale. Like Caspar the ghost.”
I sighed. “Okay, guys. If we must go to the hospital, let’s do it quickly.” I pulled my phone out and dialed the number, explaining to the girl on the phone that I was on the way. She told me to come in through the back and they’d have a private room ready for me.
An hour later, I was hooked to an IV and dozing on a stretcher. Johnny was sitting on a stool next to me, amusing himself with his cell phone. I’d instructed the limo driver to take the guys to their hotel and go home. He’d had a long night, too. Johnny was too worried about me to be the one giving orders. He was right, though. I was dehydrated. And my blood sugar was low. It was something I’d struggled with before. I had a habit of getting caught up, just like Johnny said, and forgetting to eat.
They gave me something that they said would bump up my sugar and hooked me to an IV, and I felt better almost instantly. I’d never gone that long without anything and I was chastising myself for causing concern.
“Stop it and go to sleep,” Johnny said quietly.
“Stop what?”
He looked at me with a smile. “Stop beating yourself up. I see that look in your eyes.”
I sighed. He really did know me too well. I had an odd relationship with my father. He really was my best friend. “I don’t want to go to sleep, yet. Once this is finished they’ll let me go home and I can crash in my own bed.”
“So stubborn,” he commented, turning back to his phone when it buzzed.
&nbs
p; “I learned from the best,” I said with a smile.
It was almost two in the morning when Johnny helped me into bed. I didn’t bother to take off the sweat pants and shirt I’d thrown on.
Chapter Three
I woke up to bright sun coming through my window, feeling a thousand times better. I glanced over at my clock and cringed. It was noon. I jumped out of bed and took a shower, then headed for the studio after a quick detour to my favorite coffee shop.
“Good afternoon, Lucy,” Cindy, the receptionist, greeted me when I walked through the door. “Mr. Gold is in his office. The guys of Reluctant Angel are in the kitchen, waiting for you.”
I smiled at her. “Thanks, Cin. How’s your dad?”
“Better. He left the hospital yesterday. They said it would still be awhile before he was back to his old self, though. I mean, they had to put three stents. They said he’d need open heart surgery soon if it didn’t get better.”
I put my hand on her arm. “We’re here for you, you know.”
She nodded. “I know. It means a lot to me.”
I gave her a small smile, then headed for Johnny’s office. He’d want to see me. I had deliberately put makeup on to hide the still slightly pale skin. I was already pale enough. Hayden was right. I could be mistaken for Caspar.
My hair was damp, hanging wildly across my shoulders. I didn’t do ponytails. They gave me headaches. I hadn’t looked much at the sweat pants and long sleeve shirt I’d pulled on before I left the house. I didn’t really care what I looked like.
Johnny’s face brightened when I walked into his office and he ended his phone call quickly. “You look much better today, Lu-Lu.”
“I feel much better.” I sighed and handed over the coffee I’d bought for him. “Thanks for making me go to the hospital.”
He chuckled. “That is my job, Lucy. Despite our weird ways, I am your father.”
“Yeah, yeah. So, what’s on the itinerary for today?”
“I have a few meetings, so we’ll pull together that song you were recording yesterday later tonight. The guys are waiting for you. Don’t push them too hard, Lu-Lu. Not on their first day.”
I smiled and sipped at my hot coffee. “I’ll try. You’re not, by any chance, putting me with them in hopes of a budding romance, are you?”
Johnny smiled slightly. “Me?”
“I see your game, old man. I already told you I’m not looking for anything. My life is my music right now.”
“That will change the second you find the right man, Lu-Lu. Just you wait.” He sat back and eyed me. “Besides, I like these guys. They took care of my little girl.”
“Yeah. They’re cool.” My eyes moved to the window. “I sang mom’s song for the first dance at his sister’s wedding,” I said quietly.
He nodded. “I heard.”
“Do you think about her still?”
He reached across his desk and took my hand. “Every day, Lu-Lu. Every time I look at you.”
“Do I look like her?” I asked quietly. We didn’t talk about Mom much. It was difficult territory for both of us.
“Not as much as you look like me, unfortunately. You have her nose. And that smile,” he sat back and sighed wistfully. “That smile kills me. And one day, it’s gonna kill someone else.”
The intercom buzzed on Johnny’s desk, pulling us back to reality. He told Cindy to let his first appointment in and I scooted out to find my newest undertaking. The guys were in the kitchen, sipping water bottles and talking excitedly.
I walked in and crossed my arms over my chest. “Is this the kind of ethic I’m doomed to work with? Why aren’t you guys warming up?”
Hayden smiled at me wickedly. “Babe, I get warm every time you walk into the room, and don’t roll your eyes, Caspar. You know you love it.”
“I wasn’t going to…and do you get all your language skills from ‘cheesy-one-liners guide’? Because I’d get a refund, if I was you.� I sighed. He needed to work harder, but it’s not like I could send him a memo or anything. No. If me and him were gonna get dirty and wild together, then he was gonna have to use his brain.
Grant smacked Hayden on the chest and Ben chuckled. Nate nodded toward me. “You look better.”
“I am better. And I’m going to kick all of your asses today. Starting now. Room one. Let’s go.”
Jack wandered into the kitchen just as I was barking orders. “Oh, man. I do not envy you guys.” He laid a quick kiss on my cheek as the guys filed out. “Nice to have you back, Lucy. We still on for tonight?”
I struggled to remember what we were on for. My eyes widened when I remembered Jack asking me out on an actual date, not just a quickie in the broom closet. “Oh, shit, Jack. I can’t. I have to finish that song. Johnny’s recording me tonight.”
“Ah, well. My loss.” He moved toward the fridge, grabbing a water bottle. “I’ll be hanging out when you’re ready to warm up.”
I gave him a small smile. “You’re too good to me, Jack.”
“I know.” He gave me a wide grin. “You’ll make it up to me.”
I wandered down the hall where the guys were getting set up, still feeling guilty about ditching Jack. I’d made it clear to him that the music came first, always, and if we didn’t work out, he wasn’t allowed to bail on me and the band. He agreed wholeheartedly.
He was a few years older than me, but he wasn’t looking for anything heavy, either. It was just easy to fall into bed, or against a wall, when we were always together. I must have looked pretty bummed, though, because Ben came out of the sound proof room with concerned eyes.
“You okay?”
I shrugged. “Over worked and over paid, sweetie. Now, get your ass back in there.”
We spent three hours recording before I let them take a break. They practically ran from the room. I was pushing too hard. I sighed and clicked off the recording light.
“Finished, Lu-Lu?” Johnny ran into me when I walked into the hallway.
“Almost. This track is being difficult.”
“How are the guys?”
“They’re great. They tell me how they want it and don’t grumble about my demands. They’re really good, Johnny.” I wrapped my arm though his and pulled him toward the kitchen. “Really good.” Especially Hayden. His guitar skills made me wonder what other hand skills he had…
“I know.” He smiled and moved his arm across my shoulders. “I’m thinking we can use the songs on their sample CD with minimal editing. That should make it quicker to push out that first album.”
I nodded in agreement. “I love their sound.”
“You should do one with them.” He looked down at me with a small smile. “Your voice would really compliment Ben’s.”
Ben beamed from across the room, catching that last sentence as Johnny and I walked into the kitchen. “Really? That would be awesome.”
“Actually, I was working on a duet.” I smiled at Ben. “I hadn’t decided who I wanted to sing it with.”
“Holy crap.” Ben sat back with wide eyes. “That would be so cool.”
Hayden looked up with an upraised eyebrow. “Who’s going to play it? Us or your band?”
I bit my lip, then smiled. “How about we do both? My band for my album and you guys for yours.”
Nate nodded. “That might work. It would sound different, though.”
“Well, then, we make them different,” Hayden offered. “Change the sound a little so that it’s like a part one, part two deal.” He did have a brain. I found myself feeling very happy.
“Yeah! Not just a pretty face.” I reached into my bag and grabbed the notebook I always had with me. “I need an easy song for my album. Gotta keep the girlies happy. It’s sort of a sappy love song,” I glanced over my book at them. “But the music in my head turns it into a heavy rock, so it’s not as bad.”
“That’s okay. We could use a sappy love song,” Grant assured me. “Hard or not.”
&n
bsp; I was giddy with excitement as I scribbled. “We could do it like the beginning of a relationship. Anxious. New. Then part two could be like, a continuation. More gushy.” I laughed as my mind went into overdrive. “This is going to be awesome.”
Johnny smiled. “Good luck, guys. She’s got that look in her eyes now.”
Hayden groaned. “This is going to be a rough month, won’t it?”
I just nodded, focused on my paper. “You’re stuck with me, now.”
We finished up with the track we’d been working on all day, and I told the guys that they could go back to the hotel and relax. They didn’t leave, though. They hung out in the room while Johnny recorded me. It didn’t bother me. I was in my own world, eyes closed, hands over the huge headphones. I started jumping around and really getting into it after awhile. I made Johnny play it back for me constantly, going back over certain parts until it was perfect. It took us five hours to finish the whole song, without any breaks.
Hayden was shaking his head when I finally walked out of the sound booth. “You’re like a machine.”
“I’m a woman on a mission,” I clarified, taking a huge swig of water. “And right now, I’m starving.”
Johnny frowned at me. “You haven’t eaten anything today, have you?”
I threw my arms up. “It’s all your fault! You all got me all worked up!”
“All right, Lu-Lu.” Johnny pulled me into his chest, directing me out of the building. “Where do you want to eat?”
We ended up at a little restaurant down the street. Johnny wanted to go in the back door, but I wanted to make a scene. Not for me. For the guys. They needed all the publicity they could get at this crucial time. We were planning on releasing a single soon to get people nice and anxious for their album. We all laughed and joked as we ate, and I was happy to see them all so comfortable around us. Johnny and I had always tried to stay down to Earth, but we weren’t normal people.
How could we be when we’ve always had people knowing who we were, wanting our autographs and telling us they loved us, even though we’d only just met them. Fame was interesting. It had its downsides and upsides, and we both accepted that.